Conveyer



July 12 v 1.927'. J. w. GREER coNvEYER v Filed Jan. 2.6. 1925 4 sheets-sheet 2 A TToR/vfY July 12 1927. J' W. GREER' CONVEYER Filed Jan. 265.v 1925 4 sheets-sheet 3 /N VEA/TOR ATTORNEY July 12 1927.

J. W. GREER Y CONVEYER Filled Jan. 2e, 1925 ATTOR/VE YY ra, rear.

Application med January This invention relates to conveyersof the type employing a series of trays that travel in an endless path, and more particularly to a covering sheet for the trays and means for feeding the sheets relative to their trays.

Conveyers of the endless vbelt type and I also of 'the type employing a series of trays that travel in an endless path, have been extensively used heretofore in the manufacture -of cakes, candies and other confections to convey the confections from an oven or coatg ing machine to packing tables, but both types of conveyors as heretofore employed are open to objections.

The use of an endless belt to conveyv the hot confections 'to the packing tables is open to the objection that many confections require at least ifteen minutes to cool, and as a result an excessively long belt is required to move the confections for this length of time before they reach the packing tables. Attempts have been made to overcome this difficulty by placing upon 'the belt plaques consisting of sheets of paper having a glazed surface, and these pla ues are removed from the belt by hand wit the hot confections thereupon,l but this involves considerable labor and the plaques are hard to handle without displacing or marring the still warm confections and it is dicult to keep the plaques in place upon the belt.

It has also been proposed to employe. se-

Yries of trays that travel along an endless path to carry the confectionl from the oven -be passed alon or coating machine to the packing tables. This has the advantage that the trays may different 'runs before they reach the packing tables, but is open to the objection that dliiiculty is experienced in placing the freshly'coated'confectiona or cakes fresh from the oven, upon the trays upon' the trays without injuring the confections. Heretofore the confections have been deposited bye advancing the trays beneath an endless drop a slight `distance in upper run of 'the apron to a tray, likely to injure the soft confections.

The present invention is therefore directed to novel means for placing the hot confecvyhich is tions upon the trays without injuring for marringthe confections. l

One limportant feature of the present 1nvention resides in a tray havlng a covering -sheet extending over` its upper face and in lt, o r apron carrylng the confections, but. this causes the confections to passing from the ae, 1925. 'serial No. 4,7.

.means for feeding the sheet over the surface of the tray to carry confections to different positions .upon the tray.

Another feature of the invention resides in means for supportin a tray adjacent the delivery end of an end ess conveyer, and in means for feeding a covering sheet over the 'surface of the tray to .carry the confections.

presented to an edge of the tray to diierent,

positions u on the tra v Another eature of 't e invention resides in means for moving a series of 'trays step by step in a vertical direction, and in means for placing confections upon each tray while it is at rest in a'predeterinined position along its ath of travel.

till vanother feature of the invention resides in means for feeding the covering Sheet over the tray while confections are being deliveredto the tray to carry the confectionsV thereupon, and in other means for feeding the covering sheet in the reverse direction iefore it again reaches the tray loading posilon.

Other features of the invention and novel combination of parts in addition to the above will be hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate one good, practical form of lthe invention.

In the drawin s Fig. 1 is a si e view of the com letemachine of the present invention Wit partof the enclosing casing broken away.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig: 1.

ig. 4 is a per structedin accor ance with the present invention and shown in position to receive confections from a supply apron. v

Fig. 5 is a side view of thetray of Fig. 4

' with part brokenaway; and j Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional 'view of a art ofthe tray.

present invention and havino' a. covering sheet for advancing'the confection overthe face of the tray may be employed for va-` rious purposes, 'andin the. rawings these trays are shown as used 1n an endless confor supporting one tra above the other and sective view of a tray cn'-,

rays constructed in' accordancewith the havin means for moving the trays in a vertical irection step by step.

Referring to 'the drawings, 10 designates an oven or a. coatin machine havin a laterally extending tab e 11 for supportmthe endless conveyer belt or a ron 12. 111s apron serves to convey ca es, biscuits or coated confeetions 13 to the trays 14. Inv

the construction shown the trays are caused to travel along a comparatively long path before they reach the packing tables, so that a substantial amount of time will elapse before Aa loaded tray reaches the packing table, this being deslrableto give the confections sufficient time to cool and the coating to harden before they reach the acking table. T o this end trays are intro uced at the lower end of the vertical tower `1 5 and are moved upwardly in this tower until they reach the to thereof, whereupon they are moved latera ly to a second tower 16 and then passed downwardly in the tower p 16 `until they reach a horizontally extending runway 17 along which they are advanced by endless chains 18. The packing tables 19 where the boxes are filled by hand,- may be disposed along each side of the. runway 17, as shown in Fig. 2. At the end of the runway 17` is provided means for lowering the trays to a second horizontally extending runway 20. The lowering means of the construction shown comprises a. short tower 21, and when the trays have reached the lower runway 20 they are moved along this runway towards the first mentioned tower 15 by endless chains 22. p'

In the construction shown the trays are moved vertically within their towers stepl by step, this movement being desirable in order` that each tray may come to rest for a short period of time in alignment with the upper r'un of the conveyer apron 12. so that one edge of the tray 14 will be held in close proximity to the outer end of the upper run ofthe apron 12, as best shown in Fig. 5, so that the confections may be read ily transferred from the apron 12 to the trays 14.

As stated', an im rtant feature' of thel present invention resldes in the construction ofthe trays, whereby each trav 14 is provided witha covering sheet 23. These sheets may be formed of paper, preferably having a smoothed glazed surface, or if a stronger and more durable covering surface is desired, the may be formed of cloth having a smooth azed surface. In order to advance the con ections 13 presented to one edge of the tray by the apron 12, to different positions upon the -tray it is necessary to feed the covering sheets relatively to the tray surface. This may be accomplished by various arrangements, vand in the construction sheet 23 havlng a mu'chA shown a. coverin greater len h t an the tray is employed,

and one en` of the covering sheet is secured to a roll 24, whilel the opposite end of the covering sheet is secured to a roll 25. Eachl best shown in Fie'.V 6, andthe rolls may be split longitudinal yto form a crack between t em, in which the end of the covering sheetmay be securedby clamping the two halves of the roll together with the end of the sheet. between them. The covering sheet, as will be apparent from the drawings, passes from one of the rolls about a rounded edge 28 of the tray and then over the upper face of the tray and about a second rounded edge 28 to the other roll. The arrangement is such that the'sheet 23 may be advanced in one direction over the surface of the. tray by rotating the roll 24 and may be moved in the opposite direction by rotating the roll 25. Each roll has a projecting spindle 29 slotted at its end as at 30, to receive driving means to be described, and an openin 31 is formed in-each angle iron 26 to recelve the driving means.

From the above description, it will be seen that if the covering sheet 23 is fed in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4. as the confections 13 are delivered to an edge of the tray by the conve er apron l2, the lconfections will be smoothly transferred from the apron to the tray and will be advanced over the face of the tray to the. desired (position, and when a tray is completely loade the feeding movement of the covering sheet is stopped. The loaded tray may then be moved out of alignment with the conveyer apron 12 and an emptytray presented in its place. It is apparent that confections should not be delivered by the conveyer. 12 during the short period of time' of time, it being understood, of course, that the spaces upon the apron 12 from which the confections ,are omitted should be arranged at intervals along theupper run of the belt 12 a distance apart equal to the length o f a tra 14, so that just enough deposits will be/dlaced between two of these spaces 'to'fill a tray. It will be understood that the substitution of one tray :tor4 another must be performed in timed relation with the rate of travel of theA apron] 12. y

As stated, means is provided for-advancing the trays intermittently' or step by step within the towers, and the means shown to I 1s rigidly ,pair

' chains operating parts may be driven from the main shaft 32 extending from the base of the coating machine l10, and this shaft ma be driven by a motor, not shown. The sha 32 is provided with a' smalll sprocket 33 which serves to drive a larger sprocket 34 by means of the chain 3 5. The sprocket 34 secured to a shaft 36 provided with the pinion 37 which drives the gear 38 rigidly secured to the relatively long shaft 39, and upon the shaftl 39 is mounted the, sector gear 40, the teeth of4 which are pro# vided thru only a small portion of a com-4 plete circle, and theseteeth are 'adapted to engage vand periodically rotate the gear 41 rigidly secured to the shaft 42.

Each tower is approximately square in cross-section, as best shown in Fig. 3, and at each o the four corners of the tower 15 is provided an endless chain 43, and4 these chains passl around and are f driven by sprocket wheels 44 su ported near the lower and the upper endso the tower. Tray supporting angle irons 45 are secured to each of chains 43, the arrangement being such that in'tower 15 the angle irons upon the inner run of each chain 43 move upwardly as the chains are driven, and the angle irons upon the outerl run of these chains move downwardly,as indicated Yby the arrow .in Fig.V 2.- The construction of tower 16 is similar to that of tower 15, ex-v i cept that the chains'46 which operate the angle irons 45- travel in the reverse direction, that is the angle irons upon the inner run of the chains 46 move downwardly, while those on -'the outer run moveupwardly.

One pair of chains 43 within the towerv 15 is driven from' the shaft 42 by the sprocket chain 47, and the. other pair of 43 is driven by the, sprocket chain 48 from this shaft. The sprocket wheels which drive the chains 43 to operate the angle irons at one side of the tower 15 must necessarily be driven in an opposite direc- 'tion from the sprocket wheels which drive the other pair of chains 43, and the driving chain 47 therefore does not vdirectly drive the shaft 49 which supports the sprocket 44, but drives a sprocket 50 which in turn drives the sprocket 44.` The chains 46 within the tower 16 are driven from the shaft'42 by the sprocket chains 51 and 52, and it will be seen that since the gear 41 vis drivenv intermittently by the gearsegment40 a step-bystep movement will be imparted to theangle ironswithin towers 15 and 16,1so that the trays which rest upon these'angle irons will be moved upwardly step-by-step within the tower 15, and downwardly step-by-step within the tower '16. As each tray reaches the upper end of the tower 15'it is moved laterally y projections 53 upon laterally extending chains 54 which pass around the sprockets 55 *and` 56. A'.

short runway 57 is provided between `the towers 15 and 16 in tray which has reache tion vwithin the tower 15 so t at as a trayl is moved laterally b projections upon the chains 54, it vslides a ong the runway l571ml to a pair of angle irons at the upper end of the tower 16 and downwardly step by step within thetower 16. As each tray arrives at the bottom of the tower 16 it is moved laterally alon the osition to receive' a l itsuplpermost posi- 1 the tray is then nfoved I runwa 17 by projections upon the c ains 18, an upon reaching the further end of the runway 17 it is lowered tothe lower runway 20 by angle irons 45 within the tower 21, and which operate the same as the angle irons within the tower 16.

`As each tray moves downwardly within the tower 21 to the lower runway 20, it is advancedalon this runway (in the direction indicated y the arrow) by the chains 22- until it reaches the base of the tower 15, whereupon it slides upon a pair of angle so that the space between two adjacent trays'- is approximately the sameas the width of the. s ace shown upon the apron 12 in'Fig.

4 an from which the'confections are omitted. This is due to the fact that the interval of time required to move a'tray the dis.4

tance of one step is relatively short comirons 45 and is elevated step by step within 90 pared with the time required to load atray. It will beapparent that the towers 15 and 16 may be made as-high as necessary tov aiford the confections suflicient time to cool while passing vup one tower 'and downl the other, so that by the time they arrive at the filling tables 19 they will be ready to bev placed in boxes, and if desired means vmay Having described. the cbnstruction by means wlll now be date any number of trays,

the covering sheet described for yadvancing v23 of a tray uponthe arrival of such tray at l the loading position, that isv the position in" v lwhich the upper surface of the'tray lies i'n alignment .with the'upper run of the apron 12.

The driving means Afor the covering.

ma g

sheet 23 may be variously constructed, and 1 i is shown in the drawingsas consist orted so'that its inner end may lbemoved of ahorizontally extending shaft 58 which' 1s sup- .into and out'of driving enga ement with the notched end ofa roller -24. n theconstruction shown, the shaft 58`is driven continuously by a sprocket .chain v59 which lpasses provided for causing a coolingl current of air to pass continuously thru each tower.

lli

about the sprocket keyed to the shaft 58, and about'a lower sprocket 61 rigidly secured to the shaft 62, and the shaft 62 is driven from the main shaft 32 by the bevel gears 63.

After a tray has been loaded by feeding the sheet 23 over its surface, it is desirable to feed the sheet in the reverse direction after the confections have been removed from the tray, and before the tray again arrives at the loading position. This is accomplished, in the construction shown, by a second shaft 64 similar to the shaft 58, and which is supported in position to operate the C let-ofi' roll of the tray 14, which is supported directly below the tray which is being loaded.

'lhe shaft 64 is driven by a chain 65, which chain is in turn driven by the sprocket 66 secured to a short shaft67, and the shaft 67 is driven from the shaft 62 by the cooper- .ating gears 68.

'lhe shafts 58 and 64 are rotatedcontinuously and means is provided for automatically moving the shaft 58 into operative engagement with a take-up roll of the tray which is being loaded, and at the same ftime automaticalLy moving the shaft 64 into oper-- ative engagement with the let-offl 'roll of the tray directly below the loading position. 'lhe means formovingthe'shafts 58 and 64 in the direction of their length consists of a bell crank lever 69 which operates the shaft' 58, and a -second bell crank lever 70 which operates the shaft 64. Thebell crankl levers 69 and 7 0 are connected by rods 71 to lower bell crank levers 72 and these two bell crank levers are connected by a rod 73 which is rocked by a Aconnecting link 74 extending frglm the rod 7 3 to a rocking lever 75 pivoted at 6.

' The upper end of the lever 75 is provided v with a roller 77 which engages agroove 78 in a face of the cam 79. This cam 1s secured to and is rotated by the shaft 39. It will be noted that the' cam groove 78 has a flattened portion 80 which lies closer to the axis of the driving shaft 39 thanthe major portion of the groove'7 8. The arrangement is such that the shafts 58 and 64 are held in the roll driving positionduring'the greater ortion of the complete rotation of the cam 9, but as the roller 77 engages the flattened portion of the slot 80 the operating shafts 58 and 64 are moved for ashort perlod of time to the inoperative position, when they are out of engagement with the trays while one tray is being moved upwardly out of the eoV loading position and'anpempty tray is being moved tothe loading position.

After thetrays have been used' for' a substantial length of time, it .maybe that the surface of the sheet 23 upon whichthe' confections have been repeatedly placed has become worn to an extent that makes its further use impracticable. When this occurs a new portion of the sheet 23 may be presented to the confections by merely rend-` ol having the old used portion vof the sheet,

23 fed over -the surface of the tray, a new surl'ace will 4be fed over the trayand the worn portion of the sheet will bc wound upon the take-up roll, where itmaybe stored until the entire sheet 23 is worn out. How'- evcr, if desired, instead of rendering the shaft/64 teniporarily inoperative, the takeup rolls may be rotated by hand suliciently to bring a new portion ot' the covering sheet 23 into use. As the trays pass along the runway 17 the confections may be removed by the person working at the tab-les 19. .and placed inboxes, and as the boxes are filled they are placed upon the. shelves 81; The laterally extending chains 18, 22 and 54 do not partake of the step-by-step movement imparted to the chains` 43 and 46, but operate continuously and may be driven direct 'from the main shaft 32.

It should be noted that the construction ot' the trays 14 is such that the cooling currents of air may come in contact with the under face of the sheet supporting surface 27 of the trays. This is desirable 'as it permits the confections upon the trays to be cooled more rapidly than they', could be cooledpitl the under surface of each tray was not exposed.

`What is claimed is:

1. A tray for supporting and conveying confections, comprising in combination, av

supporting surface, a coverin Y sheet for the tray extending over said surface, a take-up roll upon the tray upon which one' end of the covering sheet is wound and a let-oil' roll upon which the other end of the sheetconfections across the tray as they are delivered upon the sheet, said means eing oper- .able also to present a new and ,unused p0rtion of the sheet to said surface when a 'previous portion of the sheet has become worn.

'3. A machine of the class described, coinprising in combination, a series of trays, means for advancing the trays intermittently along a predetermined path, -a conveyer for delivering confections-to each tray as it reaches a loading position, a covering sheet ing position,

foreach tray, afeed roll for feeding the sheet over the tray lto carry the confections upon the tray, adriver for said roll, and means for movin the driver into driving engagement with t e' roll and for withdrawing the driver when the tray is loaded.

4. A machine of the class described, com-v prising in combination, a series of trays, means for advancing the trays along a predetermined path, a conveyer for delivering confections to each tray as it reaches a loada coverin sheet for each tray, a take-up roll for feeding the sheet overthe tray to carry the confections upon the tray and a let-oft roll for the opposite end of the sheet, means'for rotating the take-up vroll while the tray is in the loading position,

` and means for wmding the sheet back upon ed upon` the let-off roll before the tray again reaches the loading position.

5. A machine of the class described, comprising in combination, a series of trays, a tower provided with means for supporting the trays one above the other and for moving the trays vertically step by step, a conveyer for delivering confections to each tray vas it reaches the loading position, a coverin sheet for each tray, a a1r of rolls mounte t upon each tray and a apted to be operated to wind the covering sheet upon either roll,

means supported at the loading operable to drive a roll to feed sheet over the tray to carry the confections upon the tray. t

6. A machine of the class described, comprising in combination, a series of trays, a

and driving position and tower provided with means for su porting the trays one above the other and or moving the trays verticallystep by step, ,a conveyerfor delivering confections. to each tray as it reaches the loading position, a covering sheet for each tray, a pair of rolls mounteach tray and adapted to be operated to wind the covering sheet upon either roll, driving means supported at: the loading position and adapted to drive a roll to feed the covering sheet over the tray to carry the confections upon the tray, and means for feeding the covering sheet in the` reverse direction before it reaches the loading position.

A machine of the class described, com-r rolls disposed -at the opposite ends of the tray and upon' which t e end portions of the covering sheet are wound, and power means engageable with one of said rolls and operable to advance the covering sheet over the tray in timed relation with the feed of said conveyer to advance the confectie-ns delivered by the conveyer 1 1 on the tray.

8A A machine of the c ass described comprising in combination, a tra having its under face exposed so that coo ing currents of air may be directed against the same, means for advancing the tray along a predetermined path, a conveyer for delivering confections to the tray, a covering sheet for the upper face of the tray, means adjacent each end of the tray for holding the end portions of the covering sheet in a coiled condition, and power means for advancing the covering sheet over the face of the tray in timed relation with the feed of saidconve er and adapted to wind the leading endv of t e sheet ina coil '9 A machine of the class. described, comprising in combination, a tray, means for advancing the tra along a predetermined path, a conveyer or delivering confections to the tray, acovering sheet for the tray,

rolls disposed at the opposite ends of the'.

tray and upon which the end ortions of the covering sheet are wound, an engageable with one of said ro ls andl operable to advance the sheet over the tray in timed relation withthe feed of said conveyer to advance the confections delivered by the conveyer upon the tray, and means for ad-` vancing the sheet in the opposite direction to restore it to its original position t In testimony whereof, I have-signed my name to this specification K A JESSE w. GREER. 

